When George Raft passed on the opportunity to play Detective Sam Spade in this 1941 film version of the Dashiell Hammett novel, perennial heavy Humphrey Bogart jumped at the chance to play a good guy for a change. The role proved a springboard to stardom for Bogie and also launched the career of first-time director John Huston. The film received three Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture and one for Huston's astute screen adaptation. Among an all-star cast that included Peter Lorre, Mary Astor, Elisha Cook Jr., and Ward Bond, Sydney Greenstreet delivered a career-defining—and Oscar-nominated—performance as the oily Kasper Gutman.